Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheeled elevator platform used to load or unload unitized freight onto or from a highway truck at the same time as smaller individual cases or packages of freight are loaded or unloaded by way of a nonelevatable conveyor, e.g. a roller conveyor, a skate-wheel conveyor, or a belt conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roller, skate-wheel, and belt conveyors are well known devices that have been used for many years to transport freight from one level to another by the use of gravity or motorized means to move the freight up or down an inclined plane. Simularly, elevatable platform docklift conveyors on wheels are well known devices used to transfer unitized loads of freight from one level to another. Applicant has patented two of such devices; namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,275,526 and 5,333,340. These two basic types of conveyors have not been used together to load or unload freight between a transport truck and a freight storage building because there generally is not enough lateral space to accomodate and use both conveyors at the same time at or near the rear door of the enclosed truck.
This invention relates to a movable, wheeled, device with an elevatable platform and with hingedly attached access ramps, the platform being adapted to transfer freight, preferably in the form of pallets upon which individual cases or smaller packages of freight have been stacked to form a unitized load with the truck ramp or bridge being slenderized and shaped sufficiently to permit the simultaneous independent operation of an inclined roller, skate-wheel, or belt conveyor to transfer small individual cases or packages of freight while the pallets with a plurality of stacked cases of unitized freight are moved via the elevatable platform of this invention. The freight being moved by these two means generally is tranferred between the same two levels, although that is not a necessary limitation to this invention.